Wagon-tongue support.



PATENTED JULY 28, 1908.

AIPLIATIONl FILED 00T. 1,1907.

Fitgf Ill/Ill Wi b1 una UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HUGH P. HUDDLESTON, OF BISBEE, ARIZONA TERRITORY.

WAGON -TON GUE SUPPORT.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HUGH P. HUDDLE- s'rON, citizen of the United States, residing at Bisbee, in the county of Cochise, Arizona Territory, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wagon-Tongue Supports, of which the following is a specification.

This invention contemplates certain new and useful improvements in vehicles and relates particularly to a duplex spring 'wagon tongue support, the invention having for its object a simple, durable and efficient cony struction of support of such character that Will be found useful in wagons or horsedrawn vehicles generally, and especially wagons for farm and mountain use.

l/Vith these and other objects in view as will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain constructions, arrangements, and combinations of the parts that I shall hereinafter fully describe and then point out the novel details in the appended claims.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved wagon tongue support; Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view thereof 5 Fig. 3 is a detail inverted perspective view of the front ends of the springs and their securing means g Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view of the same and, Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the several parts ofthe securing means for the front ends of the springs, such parts being shown separated.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 1 designates the front axle of a vehicle, 2 the tongue hounds, 3 the hound bolt, and 4 the main portion of the tongue.

5 designates the springs of my improved spring tongue support, said springs being compounded, if desired, and being preferably of inverted arch shape, as clearly illustrated in the drawings.

A preferably T-shaped plate 6 is secured by its main longitudinally extending portion to the underside ofthe tongue 4, by the bolts 7 or the like, the cross bar 6";L being extended transversely of the tongue and the front ends Speccaton of Letters Patent. Application filed October 1, 1907.

Patented July 28, 1908.

Serial No. 395,416.

of the springs 5 are adapted to extend across the cross bar of the plate 6, being secured between the same and a clip bar 8 which is formed with up-turned ends 9 embracing the side edges of the ends of the cross bar 6a. Bolts 10, or similar fastening devices, pass through bolt-holes in the clip bar 8 between the front ends of the springs 5 and also through a fillet block 11 which is interposed between the front ends of the springs, these parts thereby forming boxes in which the said front ends have movement longitudinally, but are prevented from any lateral movement and securely held as against torsional strain. The forward extremity of each spring is provided with a shoulder 5a, to limit the rearward movement of the spring relative to the boxes in which they are held.

l2 designates a pair of suspension bolts, each of which is provided with a hooked upper end 12EL designed to take over the hound bolt 3. The lower ends of the bolts 12 extend through bolt-openings in the transversely extending supporting plate 13 and are provided at their lower extremities with nuts 14 to adjust their tension. This supporting plate 13 is secured by bolts 15 or the like to the respective springs 5 intermediate of the ends of the latter, and in the rear of the plate, the said springs have free bearings with their rear extremities against the underside of the front axle 1. The rear ends of the springs 5 have no permanent connection with the axle, but merely bear frictionally against the underside thereof so that the springs may slip according to the adjustment of the tongue effected by screwing the nuts up or down on the bolts 12.

From the foregoing description in connection with the accompanying drawing, it will be seen that I have provided a very simple, durable and efficient construction of spring support for the tongues of wagons or the like, which enables the tongue of a wagon to be raised or lowered by the simple adjustment of the nuts 14 on the bolts so as to vary the height of the tongue, and which holds the tongue supported in a sufficiently yielding manner to avoid any jerking, or other undue strain upon the horses, particularly while traveling over mountainous or other uneven roads.

It is to be understood that various changes may be made in the size, arrangement, and proportions of the parts, and that the various supporting and wear plates may be formed of malleable steel, or castings, as desired, and l vehicle, oi aplate secured to the underside oi that my invention is not limited in any wise in these minor respects except as jfalls within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

l. The combination with the front axle7 tongue, tongue hounds and hound bolt of a vehicle, of a plate secured to the underside of said tongue in advance of the hound bolt, a clip bar extending across and underneath said plate, springs having their front ends interposed between said clip bar and plate and having a sliding movement between such parts, the said springs extending rearwardly and bearing with their rear ends against the underside of the axle, and suspension bolts connected to the hound bolt and also connected to said springs intermediate of the ends of the latter.

2. The combination with the 'front axle, tongue, tongue hounds and hound bolt of' a the tongue in advance of the bolt, a clip bar extending across said plate underneath the same and i'ormed with upeturned ends embracing the side edges of said plate, a fillet block interposed between the clip bar and plate intermediate of the ends of the same, springs having their front ends interposed between the ends oi the plate and clip bar and formed with shouldered front extremities, the said springs extending rearwardly with their rear ends bearing against the underside of the axle, and suspension bolts secured to the hound bolt and also to said springs.

ln testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HUGH P. HUDDLESTON. [L. s] 

